mdrejhon

I heard great things about that too. It's a pay service though. GMAIL is pretty convenient free 2.5 gigabyte email hard disk though with a great search engine though. It has spam filtering too, but not a challenge-response system like spamarrest.

Here's a partial listing of recommendations I've read in this thread. - Gananoque CSS roadtrip to Thanksgiving boogie, probably can't make it due to budget (the main dealkiller is that everyone is driving on Wed or Thurs, not Fri -- I can only take two days off) - Xmas boogie at ZHills, can't make it due to budget (Christmas, y'know...family family family) - Perris Bigway Camp, can't make it since I won't have 250 jumps by then (although I may have 250 by the Canadian 80-way) I will have budget for an approx 50-jump holiday anywhere between January and April, so I need to time a boogie, event or bigway camp during that time period. And I'm happy to hear SkyVenture New Hampshire is opening in March, that means I may be able to get plenty of tunnel time too within driving distance of Ottawa. (I did tunnel in Orlando and loved it)

Good observation but... (1) I am already talking to certain people by email (not all the same dropzone contacts you mentioned though) (2) I utilize multiple sources of information: Direct contact, dropzone.com, Skydive Burnaby, dropzone contacts, even made a mention on CSPA CHAT list too. (3) As a deaf guy, I find it easier to communicate online. (4) Because Gananoque is closed right now for the winter. (5) I only found out about this 80-way a few days ago. Thanks for the tip about the names. But, also, you just perfectly proved my point how useful dropzone.com is and how helpful it was: You posted your message, which helped me by mentioning a few name referrals which I will indeed take advantage of. As I am still a first-year B license newbie, I have not been talking about bigways to many people because it wasn't yet on my radar screen. It is right now. Because RW is something I decided I'd like to speciallize in for now, and now I want to extend that to bigway experience. As I am only newly interested in bigways, you can understand that I am only learning now who are the bigway contacts. I am sure that people who know me, will understand this, all things considered... (If anybody others from my dropzone reads this. Please feel free to PM me about who I should talk to. Especially those of you who did not receive an email by me.)

Due to PM and email's from other interested users, I posted instructions on how to use GMAIL simply to backup your existing email address and desktop client: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1938190

Hi, I am posting this because somebody from dropzone.com asked me for instructions regarding this, but there are many others who are interested in this info... Sangrio's laptop got stolen (and he lost all his recent email) and I offered a GMAIL invitation as a solution to backup emails. While he probably wasn't interested, I got some PM's and email's asking me questions or an invitation. (The below is mostly a copy-and-paste of what I wrote, edited for privacy reasons) How to use GMAIL merely as online backup of your Thunderbird/Outlook/Eudora email. (If you like to keep existing email address on existing desktop client) Some of us like GMAIL because of its features (searching, filtering, file attachments, spell check, email autosaving as you write, etc.) It does all of these extremely well. However, some of us like to keep using Thunderbird or Outlook or Eudora, or any other desktop client with our existing ISP email address (i.e. DZO@mycozydz.com or janedoe@highspeed.com) and never would switch to GMAIL fully.... There's a solution to this. Essentially, what you need is two emails with the ability to forward emails to each other. GMAIL is one of them. In order to prevent infinite forwarding loops (forwarding back and fourth), one of the email accounts needs to have selective forwarding that prevents forwarding emails that have already been forwarded, and the ability to ignore duplicate emails. (otherwise you do need both email accounts to have selective forwarding, but for GMAIL this is not necessary) The bonus thing is that GMAIL has that selective forwarding feature, and the ability to ignore duplicate emails (to stop the infinite loop) What this means is that anytime anybody emails either of my email addresses, the same email shows up in both email accounts! So this is a very convenient feature. If all the above confuses you, don't worry too much about it -- the instructions are rather simple: 1. Configure your original email account to forward to your GMAIL account. (this depends on your ISP). Make sure it also keeps a copy of emails in your original Inbox too. 2. Click "Create a Filter" in GMAIL. Fill Matches "From: " your GMAIL email address Click Next Step Check "Forwards it to" checkbox Fill with your other original email account. Now, anytime people email your GMAIL address, your original account gets a copy. Anytime people email your original address, the GMAIL account gets a copy. So you can advertise either or both email addresses -- and both your Inboxes will get the same emails. Very convenient, provides an automatic backup, and makes it easier to transition. Now before you go about this, you'll have to determine how to configure your original email address to forward to your GMAIL. This depends on the ISP. You may wish to contact the ISP to configure email forwarding (but also keep a copy of all forwarded emails in the original Inbox too). Sometimes some ISP's charge a small fee for forwarding (i.e. $5 per year) but most provide email forwarding for free. Your older emails from before today won't be backed up on GMAIL but henceforth after today, after configuring, you've essentially got a perpetual online backup of all your offline emails. And very easily searchable too. (GMAIL provides so much disk space -- over 2.5 gigabytes -- and keeps increasing it, that it may even last a lifetime of emails just to fill up, unless you send lots of email attachments everyday. A 10 year email archive easily fits on GMAIL, for example.)

I'd love to, but all in good time... I have a small amount of no-contact CReW experience - I have almost bumped end cells already. (1 feet side-to-side proximity) I only have basic training from the CSPA guidebooks (PIM's), I still need a good chat and quiz on things like wrap management before I am docked on anybody else under canopy.. And a second hook knife too. Besides, my canopy at 170 sq ft, I had to front riser or spiral a few times just to maintain altitude with the dogs. So I haven't been able to make an impression yet. I manage to glide-angle match 135's and 150's. But I can't glide-angle match 120's very well unless I front riser... My focus is RW, but I want to do more non-solo jumps (40% to 50% of my jumps are still solos, usually tracking pratice, I'm working that number down now.)

That's true. I haven't been to many dropzones yet. I'm just trying to have a sense of humor here too - see my smiley. Anyway, when I started jumping in May, I was trying to see if it was possible to reach the "100-jump-and-a-B-license" goal for an October skydiving event called DWR 2005 (Deaf skydiving event). Without having to go every weekend. I did not want to go every weekend. But I pulled it off at a mostly non-turbine dropzone going only every two weekends. Setting goals has been an inspiration for me to keep skydiving through the year. Anyway, I apologize for getting this thread too far off track. I am not a wingsuiter but I am talking from fellow NEWBIE to fellow NEWBIE about fresh memories on early experiences on starting to jump frequently. Hopefully my advice is relevant, although I also advise the original poster to talk to their instructors about jumping time-management stuff and relevant experience needed.

"and a FREE skydive" You have gotta believe me: It's safer than giving a FULL cup of Espresso to a child.

Okay, maybe with a Mike Mullin's King Air and 90 seconds to Hop-n-pop altitude, if it was doing back-to-back loads. You'd be struggling to beat the plane to the ground, though, if you decided to go all the way to freefall altitude.

I wouldn't be jumping if it weren't for this ride. A similiar ride at Canada Wonderland, called the Extreme Skyflyer in 1996, convinced me to try skydiving by doing a tandem in 1997. That one tandem stuck in my mind and I became a real skydiver this year. I think skydiving and hang gliding mention is because it's essentially a massive 100 foot tall swing. Jumping from about maybe 90 feet to the front of the tower, going down and arcing underneath the tower and then right back up 90 feet in the air 90 feet in front of the tower (swiiiiiiiiiiing!). You're the bottom of the pendulum. The launch is like jumping out of the exit of a plane (the andrenaline surge), and the horizontal movement bottom is like hang gliding supposedly, but I think it's more like swooping at least when I watch swoopers because people don't really 'swoop' a hang glider. However, you are in a similiar "hanging" posture almost like hang gliding, because the harness on this ride puts your body almost totally exposed to the Earth below, just like on a hang glider. It's not an identical sensation I would bet, but you do get a lot of speed is built up very low above the ground, akin to swooping because of the high-speed approach to ground and then turf surf through the bottom part of the swing (however brief, before you get swung back upwards) Anybody that really loved this ride enough to try it again, probably will love skydiving. It is a much more realistic simulation of the adrenalin surge portion of the process of going skydiving, than doing a rollercoaster or windtunnel, I found the "exit fear" surprisngly similiar.

QuoteWe often say that the fatality rate is 1 per thousand as a simple and fairly accurate approximation***Considering 100 jumps per year that a regular skydiver like me would make, I think that's pretty accurate. (Doing 100 chances of 1 in 100,000 would roughly turn it into an approximation of 1 in 1,000, give or take) To magazine article writers: I heard a USA statistic that skydiving 17 times in one year is roughly equal to driving 10,000 miles in one year -- BUT DO NOT QUOTE ME ON THIS; this is considered hearsay because I am just saying what I've heard. Do your research. You may run into the temptation to compare the 1-in-100,000 statistic to other statistics. Be careful about doing it accurately. That's why people argue it's more dangerous than driving, while others say it's safer than driving -- all relative depending on miles driven, type of car and driving, how many jumps done, types of jumps, etc.. People constantly nitpick over how safe or dangerous skydiving is; it's still a dangerous activity even if it's become "tolerably" safe enough for us to be willing to jump. Good luck in writing a useful and informative article, I am glad you're utilizing multiple sources, just make sure you cross-reference facts and doublecheck multiple sources!

Fixed. Thanks. Yes, that's very true. I'm just illustrating my point that there's nothing that a rich person can't do -- if you have the money, you can dramatically increase your jumps-per-day. Realistically (once you're really experienced), I think the upper limit is 20 jumps per day at a really busy dropzone if you own multiple rigs and a dedicated packer. Otherwise, you're too dead tired. 7 jumps per day is plenty enough if I am packing.

WHOO HOO! Maybe I can get enough experience for the 2006 Canadian 80-way record after all!

I didn't think of that -- that's true. I know someone who jumped 20 times in one day by doing that. Never say never. The world record is 534 jumps in 24 hours, I think, but that was a couple of dedicated planes I think, a lot of rigs, and a big team of packers, and low-altitude hop-n-pops. I think it was swoop to near start of runway, jettison rig, grab rig, jump into plane waiting to take off. [Edit: Fixed the exact jump number - 534]

In the middle of Canadian winter at a Cessna dropzone? I'd be nuts. However, you idea is very valid. By the time May rolls around, it will be 2006's first Twin Otter boogie at my home dropzone (May 20-22 tentative). The Skydive Gananoque DZO (Tom) sponsored Scott Miller to come to do canopy coaching in 2005, and he is doing it again for 2006. Maybe I can get the DZO to sponsor a bigway LO for the May 20-22 Twin Otter boogie. I am going to propose that (sometime), thanks for the idea. But with the Otter fitting only 20 people, and May being very early in Canadian skydivng season, it may not work out -- however it would be a good way to bring some publicity to the Canadian 80-way, and there are no doubt other people like me who want to even *think* about trying for the Canadian Record. They may even already have a LO, I'm not sure...

A compromise is kissing just half of the weekends goodbye -- that's what I did during the summer. May only get 20 to 30 per month that way, but that's still enough to legally get into a wingsuit. Safely too, I'd hope - talk to instructors on skills that you should concentrate on as well.

It's not the jump numbers, it's the experience and widsom.

Question! Are there any RW camps where I can jump at least 20 or 30 jumps with formations 10-ways and bigger? (I have done 10 jumps that were 10-ways or bigger, so I know I'm ready for such a smaller camp) Some places in the states have those 55-jumps-for-$1000 (similiar to Perris) which I could manage, or cheap $18-or-less jumps, but I would like to time it during a boogie where tons of 8/10/20+ ways are planned. If I could only make ONE such trip with lots of jumping (over 50 times), what would be good events to go to that might ensure that more than half of the jumps really test my skills, and teach me more about safety in even bigger ways. (i.e. which boogie/events are heavily RW/bigway oriented?) After all, since it's CSPA and in Canada, I know many first-time participants in the Canadian record-ways have never been to a big way camp except maybe a previous Canadian Record Attempt (And gotten cut but wanted to try again)! I heard there are pratice camps on the two days before the big way attempt. So the record attempt is like a Canadian big way camp in itself too in ways. The earlier Canadian 100-way attempt had to be whittled down to 54-way, if I understand correctly. It would seem that there's just not enough interested experienced Canadian skydivers with high enough experience levels, so I am pretty sure they will at least 'look' at my flying skills. I would probably just get cut and then just keep jumping with the support team and other jumpers, etc. Because of this reason, I may pay that $100 anyway just to get in on the 'camp' aspects and class training for bigway safety, etc. Might still be worth it even at only 200 jumps. However, I do want to get LOTS of 20-way-ish experience first, and break the 200 jump barrier... I'd hope 200 jumps in a single 12 month period would probably make me more current in RW than 500 jumps spread thinly over 10 years. Especially if that's a 500-jump freeflyer. I might only have 200 jumps, but I'd like it to be plenty of 20-ways - I know current experience matters more than jump numbers. Anyway, it is one of the inspirations to keep me speciallizing on RW because one of these days I want to be on one of these record attempts... I would not have gotten 138 jumps without the Deaf World Record as the aim, and I attended in mid-to-late October. I'm looking for other inspiration in the sport, and the Canadian bigway is one of them. At least being "there" at the event.

I'm not sure I can afford to do 300 jumps by then. I know that the Perris bigway camp required 250 jumps minimum. If I get a few thousand extra dollars, I might go for it. I wouldn't bank on it... But I think I will at least go watch the Canadian bigway and participate in the fun jumping (which would mean plenty of 20-way pratice)

I'm sure the buzz will start to become loud when the Canadian skydiving season starts again. If you are a CSPA member, there's a CSPA mailing list. It seems you're USPA (right?), but four Twin Otters means lots of jumping opportunities between the bigway loads, go and fill a slot! I didn't know the dates of this Canadian bigway before today (I had been trying to find out), so I felt it was important to post this information publicly. Many Canadian skydivers don't even know about this! If I remember right, there was a 100-way attempt a few years ago in Canada but they only managed succeed 56-way. The word needs to be spread!

I'm debating the thought. You're far more experienced than I am (overall anyway, even if not 50% of jumps are RW like me). Yeah, 80 people trying to kill each other. There are enough scary moments just watching a partially completed 20-way funnel and tracking out of the mess (I was still 20 feet away from that mess, only 500 feet above breakoff altitude, not yet docked). I already know things can get quite scary in a hurry... I made it a point to make almost all my solo freefalls all tracking pratice jumps... I could just show up there and watch and just jump with smaller 20-ways between loads, which I have already done before (Deaf World Record) and want to continue to pratice with. The Deaf World Record 20-way was the inspiration that made me jump 136 times in one year (otherwise, I'd only have jumped 50 times...) If I have done a lot more jumps (200?) and windtunnel time by then, I might even pay the $100 to try to be a part of the actual bigway! Am I totally nuts to be pondering this thought!? With a good load organizer such as Guy Wright and great people evaluating our bellyflying skills, he may be able to keep things reasonably safe. It'd definitely inspire me to keep jumping. At just 200 jumps and only a little tunnel time, I'm very liable to be cut even before they put me on the bigway, but at least I'll have national attempt experience which will count positively towards future participation. After all, I do sometimes dream of being part of a future world record (400way?) attempt when I'm a 1000+ expert RW jumper and a small goldmine spent on tunnel time. If I ever go that far in skydiving. You never know... Just dreaming. I am trying to ask them if $100 is actually used as a deposit used towards a jump balance. If so, I will be asking them to clarify that -- because it may make some people decide to go because it won't be wasted. It's still very early, the form and deposit doesn't need to be mailed in until May 31st, 2006 anyway. Plenty of time for someone to bump experience levels up by then. Either way, they need plenty of good Canadian jumpers. Badly. Canada's not that big a country skydiving population-wise. Mark it on your calendar and spread the word!

Sangrio, Would you like a GMAIL invitation? I've found it a very useful remote email backup and I actually find it faster than a local install Netscape/Mozilla Thunderbird now (or Outlook) Currently I've configured it to mirror my provider's Inbox using a creative email forwarding filter that forwards to each other (without endless back-fourth loop), so that I can access email either through my ISP or GMAIL and they are instant backups of each other, and people can use either email address and the same email shows up in both Inboxes. I still use Thunderbird, but I launch it just twice a month to download my emails. That would be my third backup (1 local backup and 2 remote backups of mirrored Inboxes). Funny that a remote network-based email is now faster and more efficient than a local installation of email software such as Outlook/Thunderbird/Eudora/etc, but I've found it suprisingly true for GMAIL specifically... But I can still instantly give up GMAIL (if it screws up) and go back to Thunderbird, thanks to the creative system I've set up -- or stick to Thunderbird for offline email like during an airplane flight.

My goals were to be part of Deaf World Record (www.deafskydivers.org) for this year, which essentially were: - Get A-License. Done. - Get B-License. Done. - Do 100 jumps. Done. - Own all my gear. Done. - Do Night Jump. Done. - Do Water Jump. Not Done. It was too cold. - Do 20-way. Done but incomplete (though I docked). - Break the Deaf World Record. Almost. Was on several attempts but had to be removed from the actual attempt with a few others (reduced to a 16-way) Not sure what will be up next year, but I'm now itching after the Canadian Record 80-way 2006. (I wonder if I can afford to quickly gain enough experience to be a part of it! Hours of tunnel time, and a winter trip to Eloy? Hmmm...)

Just a heads up to all... Nobody has mentioned this on Dropzone yet as far as I know, so I'll be the first. This sort of belongs in Events, but being a big event, it is akin to the Canadian version of the World Record; worthy of the General forum. (Historically, most 'record-way' or '100-way' talk is located here anyway) The Canadian Record 80-Way registration form (Skydive Burnaby) appears to be up now, with June 22-25th, 2006 being the date. It is my understanding you need to be a Canadian to be a part of this, and need a B license. This may ultimately be too big for me, but they are having camps before that which would be fun to be part of anyway. (I've only done several 16 to 20-way attempts (about 8 of them) and I have jumped several 4/5/6/7/9/10 ways now.) It appears they need as many Canadian skydivers as possible to register. Knowing our country is much smaller in population than the USA, and the record is only a 56-way at this moment. As long as you have a B license, you can register and be part of the tryout camps. Guy Wright is the load organizer. Even if one gets cut from the 80-way, I was told there would be jumping opportunities for multiple smaller bigways (20-ways) which would be great continuing pratice for a guy like me for a future attempt! Heard that the pratice camps start earlier, I think Monday. Four Twin Otters at one dropzone in Canada, a very rare opportunity. (good even if you are not part of the 80-way!). And watching the record 80-way from the ground will be pretty spectacular at breakoff time for someone standing on the ground. So you Canadians, even those with just a B license, the tryout camps and being a spectator would look like a lot of fun at least!

Oh that's good! Even more reason for me to do the 7 hour drive when this tunnel opens. Which one would that be?